If you’re hiring an event planning company, chances are you’re already busy. Working with event planners is one of the smartest moves you can make for a corporate event—especially if you already have a full-time job and you clearly don’t have time to plan an event on top of everything else you’ve got going on.

Working with event planners can be a huge help—but there are ways to make the whole process easier and more efficient. Here are some tips to make the process of working with an event-planning company efficient, pleasant, and ultimately successful for everyone involved.

Set expectations at the outset

Clearly communicate your goals, your ideas, and any other information you have about your event to your event planners from the very beginning. It’ll make the whole process, and the end result, much better if you have a clear picture of what you want your event to be and what you want it to accomplish. Plus, it’ll cut down on the potential for miscommunications later on.

This doesn’t mean that you need to know every detail of the event beforehand—that’s what event planners are for. But if you know who your guests are, what your goals are, or have specific ideas you want incorporated, that can really drive the process forward and shape the end result into what you want it to be.

Be deliberate about communication

Communication is a huge part of working with an event-planning company, and having good or bad communication can make or break a professional relationship. It can make the process incredibly helpful—or incredibly frustrating.

At the beginning of your work together, make your decisions about the best ways to communicate with you, and communicate thatinformation to your event-planning company. Here are some questions you should think through before you start the event planning process:

• What’s the best way to get a hold of you, and what methods of communication do you prefer?
• Would you rather have a designated time to talk each week or be contacted every time a major decision needs to be made?
• What days and times are best to get a hold of you?
• How much do you want to be involved in the planning process?
• What is the approval process for decisions between your team and the event-planning company?

Event planners communicate with clients all the time—it’s their job. But keep in mind that it’s easier, faster, and more pleasant for everyone if expectations are set at the beginning.

Trust your event planner’s expertise

While it’s important to clearly communicate your goals and preferences for your event, it’s also a good idea to remember that your event planners do this for a living, and they’re used to creating stellar events for other people. They should be skilled in working toward someone else’s goals and adjusting to each client’s style for a result that everyone is happy with. Develop a balance between trusting your event-planning company and making sure your input is listened to as well. And on that note…

Be honest!

If you have strong opinions or don’t like something your event planner has come up with, speak up! Don’t be afraid to hurt their feelings; they won’t be offended, and they’ll likely appreciate the honesty. It really is a collaborative process and the best event planners want your input.

Remember that the event planners are there to plan your event and accomplish your goals. If the planning process goes awry or gets away from your initial vision, don’t be afraid to say something. They’re the experts, but that doesn’t mean they can read your mind or that their every idea is perfect for your event; rather, it should mean that they’re skilled at taking feedback, being flexible, and creating an event that you all can be proud of.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your next event, please contact us today.